How can we eliminate this loop: We use air conditioning because the climate is getting hotter, and the climate is getting hotter because of air conditioning/ refrigeration etc.?

Answers

There are several options to take some of the effects out of climate change. You could not use an air conditioner. You could use it less. You could get an energy efficient air conditioner. You could off set your air conditioner use by using less energy elsewhere. If your energy company offers it, you could buy green energy credits. You could also pay to have some sort of renewable energy built into your house to try and take yourself off the grid to an extent. Everyone doesn’t need an air conditioner and I think a lot of time, energy is wasted on air conditioners, however, if that’s one of your luxuries, there are ways to offset the toll. See link for additional energy saving tips.

There are 2 main ways that I can think of to keep your house cooler in the summer. A green roof and whiteroofing, both of which are best done on a flat roof. A green roof or a living roof involves installing a few inches layer of soil and planting species like sedum or other plants (you could have a garden). Whiteroofing is using special paint to cover your roof and reflect sunlight so the roof doesn’t absorb the sunlight and get hotter. I know someone who did this this summer and immediately saved about $80 on his bill compared to the previous year.

The dorm that I am living in next year at my university does not have air conditioning, so I’ve been trying to figure out ways to stay cool without using an air conditioner. One effective thing that I have been doing is wetting a towel with cold water and laying it across my back and neck. It also helps not to move around a lot. Fans are also a big help. There are things you can do to cool off besides using an air conditioner; however, it’s hard to imagine life without an air conditioner when where I live, the temperature today reached 105 degrees.